Proyecto Temuco: what it's about

We set up Project Temuco back in November, as we decided to make the most of the opportunities we are given by our college to receive funding for academically-related travel. We picked Chile as our destination for the incredible perspectives it offered on different fronts. The linguistic diversity of the country (Chile today has nine living languages) greatly appealed to Octave as a linguistic student, especially since some of these languages are extremely different one from the other, and showcase some unique features. Paul's interest in South-American literature, as well as his admiration for the work of the poet Neruda further cemented our decision to stay in Chile.

In a current context of cultural globalisation and hispano-centricism in South America, dozens of indigenous languages are disappearing all over the continent, while Spanish is constantly gaining more native speakers. In the rural areas home to indigenous communities, the Spanish language is considered by many as an opportunity for integration within the country's economic activity. As a result, many individuals of indigenous descent have today become alienated from the history, culture and language of their ancestors. This observation was the driving force behind our project, which looks to raise awareness for the culture and language of the Mapuche people, a traditional community of south-central Chile. We hope to be able to collect testimonies from the Mapuche people in Temuco about what it really 'feels' like to be a part of such a community, which today faces the threat of cultural levelling and assimilation.